The Cambridge Civic Journal has never and will never accept money from any political candidate or political organization (including those that claim to be tax-exempt charitable organizations).We don't accept money at all.

Note: Any information or images provided on this website may be used by anyone providing public information - and that goes especially for information about candidates in the municipal election. Attribution is appreciated, but not required.

Great Responses:
When asked by reporters after the "Beer Summit" in 2009 what role President Obama had played, Sgt. James Crowley responded: "He provided the beer."

Quote of the month (Feb 2011):
"Much of the language in the contract is obscure, its costs are not included and the contract has not been published on the city's website. The contract is posted, lost among hundreds of other documents, on a Cambridge blogger's website."
- Summary of the research of a Northeastern Univ. journalism class project targeting Cambridge City Manager Robert Healy published Feb 8 in the Boston Globe and another blogger's website.

It's so nice to be dissed by the children. - RW

A liberal friend, conventionally "green," once asked me how a scientific issue like global warming had become a battleground in the culture war. I replied that the left had made it one by treating climate change as an imperative for sweeping ideological change. Climate alarmists insist that the earth is doomed unless we radically change the way we live by reducing freedom, limiting choices, and aggrandizing government. The struggle is not about the science of global warming, in short; it's about the theology of global warming - a theology that commands us, in Al Gore's formulation, to "make the rescue of the environment the central organizing principle for civilization."

This religious aspect of climate alarmism, which many conservatives and libertarians grasp intuitively, is not often acknowledged openly by its adherents. But now and then it is stated with unabashed directness, as with this headline in the Guardian, an influential London daily, during the Copenhagen conference: "This is bigger than climate change. It is a battle to redefine humanity." Precisely.Jeff Jacoby, Dec 27, 2009, Boston Globe

Good quote for Dec 2007:
"I mean, talk about a direct IV into the vein of your support. It's a very efficient way to communicate. They regurgitate exactly and put up on their blogs what you said to them. It is something that we've cultivated and have really tried to put quite a bit of focus on."
-- former White House communications director Dan Bartlett, on conservative blogs

Good quote for Aug 2007: “By now, the political blogosphere is to the left what talk radio is to the right. It is a forceful, sometimes demagogic, message-monger organizing tool for the progressive end of the Democratic Party.”
- Ellen Goodman, Boston Globe, Aug 10, 2007 column "E-male"

Interesting Fact: Did you know that the color on the top of a fire hydrant indicates the flow rate of water from that hydrant?Blue: 1500+ gal/minuteGreen: 1000-1499 gal/minOrange: 500-999 gal/minRed: <500 gal/min

April 2007 quote: “Quoting Robert Winters, a math instructor at Harvard, who is alleged to be an FBI informant, is like asking the Pope about religion.”
-- By R.B., April 18, 2007

“Every municipality has its quirks. In Newton, the unofficial anthem is ‘Kumbaya.’ The Cambridge City Council will undoubtedly pass a resolution demanding that yoga be an Olympic sport. Supposedly urbane Boston has an otherwise good mayor that no one can understand.”
- Brian McGrory,
Boston Globe, Nov 19, 2004

Manager's Agenda #5. Transmitting communication from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to the appropriation of $444,534.67 from the Hubway Capital Projects Equipment Fund to the Community Development Department Public Investment Fund Extraordinary Expenditures Account. These funds will be used for the purchase and expenses of Hubway bikeshare equipment. These funds represent the donor agreement revenues and will contribute to the purchase, installation and maintenance of approximately 10 additional stations and bicycles, pending identification of acceptable locations.

Manager's Agenda #6. Transmitting communication from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to the appropriation of $489,780 associated with the Hubway Bike Share Equipment from the Mitigation Revenue Stabilization Fund to the Public Investment Fund Community Development Extraordinary Expenditures account. These mitigation funds will be used for the purchase and expenses of Hubway bikeshare equipment.

Plow the streets from curb to curb. If any plastic posts get in the way, sharpen the blades on the snow plows.

Unfinished Business #8. An amendment to the Zoning Ordinance of the City of Cambridge on Beekeeping. The question comes on passing to be ordained on or after Nov 6, 2017. Planning Board hearing held on Oct 3, 2017. Petition expires Jan 3, 2018.

It's a pleasingly light agenda this week, and there are no more committee meetings scheduled this term. The Inaugural Meeting of the 2018-19 City Council will take place on New Years Day starting at 10:00am. In the meantime, here are a few items on this week's agenda - with minimal comment:

Manager's Agenda #6. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to a Planning Board recommendation to adopt the Beekeeping Zoning Petition with proposed amendments to the petition.

Unfinished Business #8. An amendment to the Zoning Ordinance of the City of Cambridge on Beekeeping. The Question comes on passing to be ordained on or after Nov 6, 2017. Planning Board hearing held on Oct 3, 2017. Petition expires Jan 3, 2018.

Manager's Agenda #8. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to Awaiting Report Item Number 17-118, regarding a report on an update on the City's plan to expand the curbside composting program citywide.

Sundry communications on the closing of Petco and appeals to rescind the ban on non-rescue animal sales.

Order #1. That the City Manager is requested to mail the “Street Code” Booklet to all households in Cambridge as an educational outreach measure for road safety. Councillor Devereux, Vice Mayor McGovern, Mayor Simmons

There are a number of additions this otherwise decent booklet could use. For example, bicycles should be equipped not only with lights but with sufficiently bright lights that are not obscured by clothing, backpacks, or anything else. It's stunning to see how many cyclists have dim lights or no lights at all. Batteries are not eternal. Dark clothing may be a great fashion statement, but it's an invitation for disaster.

Order #3. That the City Manager request an investigation by the State Department of Public Utilities into the maintenance of the district energy system and ask appropriate officials from the State Department of Public Utilities to appear before the City Council to report on the state of repair of the district energy system in Cambridge and to discuss why there are no state regulations governing steam energy systems in Massachusetts when it is widely known that these operations create potential serious public health hazards and risks. Councillor Maher, Councillor Toomey, Mayor Simmons

I'm not sure what this is about but it has an ominous tone to it.

Committee Report #1. A communication was received from Paula M. Crane, Deputy City Clerk, transmitting a report from Councillor Nadeem Mazen, Chair of the Neighborhood and Long Term Planning, Public Facilities, Arts and Celebration Committee, for a public hearing held on Oct 10, 2017 to discuss feedback on bike safety related issues, and to plan for future bike safety measures in the City of Cambridge.

This was a meeting designed to not listen to anything the Chair didn't want to hear.

Communications & Reports from City Officers #1. A communication was received from Vice Mayor Marc McGovern, transmitting Opioid Working Group Report.

Communications & Reports from City Officers #4. A communication was received from Tanya L. Ford, Executive Director, Cambridge Election Commission, transmitting the Final Official Results from the Municipal Election held on Tues, Nov 7, 2017 for City Council.

Communications & Reports from City Officers #5. A communication was received from Tanya L. Ford, Executive Director, Cambridge Election Commission, transmitting the Final Official Results from the Municipal Election held on Tues, Nov 7, 2017 for School Committee.

There is a minor error in the posted Final Official Results for the City Council election. The actual order of election was Simmons, Siddiqui, McGovern, Devereux, Zondervan, Mallon, Toomey, Carlone, Kelley. The posted document has Mallon and Zondervan in the reverse (incorrect) order. Additional information is posted on the CCJ Elections Page. - Robert Winters

Dec 2 - We returned for additional Cambridge InsideOut programs this week (Nov 28) with an Election Data Binge. This included a demonstration of how this year's City Council election would have played out using fractional transfer instead of the Cincinnati Method. We also revealed who would replace each of the elected councillors and School Committee members in the event of a vacancy. Unfortunately, CCTV changed the recording equipment in the studio (without any notice) which delayed making the recorded programs available. I finally figured out on my own a way to edit the recordings and was able to post them.

[What DID work was Windows (Live) Movie Maker (which comes with Windows 7+ or can be downloaded for free), but not until I (a) downloaded and installed a "K-Lite Codec Package - Mega Version" (which gave me the audio but not the video, and (b) a K-Lite update from just two days earlier (Nov 29) that gave me the ability to view the video. I was then able to trim the extraneous material and save the edited videos as mp4 files with very good quality. As an extra added benefit the file sizes were quite reasonable, e.g. a 9.06GB original ended up at 407MB. This compares well with the 709MB file that CCTV generated for download, and the quality is actually better. I should really write this up and post it at CCTV somewhere so that other users, especially Windows users, can edit and post their shows. Finally, uploading the smaller files was fast and the quality appears to be preserved.]

These unexpected changes make me think the time may be ripe to change the way we produce the shows. If there are any volunteers out there who may be interested in helping to produce the show each week (for a salary of $0), let me know. - RW

The table below indicates the percentage of ballots for which the #1 ranked candidate was elected; the percentage of ballots for which the #1 or #2 ranked candidate was elected; and the percentage of ballots for which the #1, #2, or #3 ranked candidate was elected.

Voter Success in Cambridge Elections

Election

elect

candidates

valid

invalid

total ballots

Pct #1 elected

Pct #1 or #2 elected

Pct #1, #2, or #3 elected

Pct none elected

Pct blank

1997 Council

9

19

16879

350

17229

88.7

96.2

97.6

1.6

0.3

1999 Council

9

24

18777

384

19161

76.5

92.5

95.5

3.0

0.5

2001 Council

9

19

17126

562

17688

83.8

94.0

96.2

2.8

1.1

2003 Council

9

20

20080

878

20958

72.7

87.0

91.0

6.7

2.0

2005 Council

9

18

16070

132

16202

78.7

93.4

96.1

2.6

0.5

2007 Council

9

16

13633

88

13721

79.3

93.2

96.0

2.9

0.4

2009 Council

9

21

15995

118

16073

75.1

90.9

94.1

4.3

0.6

2011 Council

9

18

15845

126

15971

77.8

92.6

95.5

3.3

0.5

2013 Council

9

25

17743

103

17846

68.6

87.8

93.0

4.9

0.4

2015 Council

9

23

17854

105

17959

71.7

90.4

94.8

3.3

0.3

2017 Council

9

26

22524

72

22596

68.7

87.0

92.8

4.7

0.2

1997 School

6

8

16386

285

16671

83.3

96.4

97.6

2.4

0.1

1999 School

6

13

17961

307

18268

76.0

91.1

94.4

4.7

0.1

2001 School

6

10

16489

1160

17649

76.2

90.5

92.6

7.1

4.8

2003 School

6

8

18698

2210

20908

81.9

89.7

90.0

10.0

8.8

2005 School

6

8

15470

719

16189

77.4

90.6

93.1

6.9

4.2

2007 School

6

9

13276

433

13709

77.0

91.2

92.7

7.1

3.0

2009 School

6

9

15423

549

15972

72.6

90.1

91.6

8.4

3.3

2011 School

6

11

15290

614

15904

77.6

90.3

92.2

6.9

3.6

2013 School

6

9

16592

1128

17720

80.9

90.0

91.2

8.5

6.2

2015 School

6

11

16797

1062

17859

69.2

84.7

88.0

11.1

5.7

2017 School

6

12

20708

1744

22452

67.2

81.5

85.2

13.3

7.7

Note: Almost all of the invalid ballots were blank ballots. It's common that some voters will vote only the City Council ballot and cast a blank School Committee ballot.

Nov 23 - The Shifting Demographic

The voter history file for the 2017 municipal election was made available yesterday, and it provides evidence of a dramatic shift toward younger voters in the recent election. This provides at least some partial explanation for the election results. Here are some histograms for the municipal election years (2013, 2015, 2017) followed by the federal/state election years (2012, 2014, 2016).

Municipal Elections: 2013 - 2017

(note the dramatic peak in the 27-29 age range)

Federal/State Elections: 2012 - 2016

Election Update (Fri, Nov 17): The Final Official Election Results produced the same winners in the same order of election:

Preliminary City Council Results (in order of election): Simmons, Siddiqui, McGovern, Devereux, Zondervan, Toomey, Mallon, Carlone, KelleyNotes: (1) At the end of the 14th Count, Tierney had only 3 more votes than Toner; (At the end of the deciding 17th Count, Kelley had only 3 more votes than Tierney. The Unofficial Results on Wednesday when auxiliary ballots are included could change the results in several ways.

Preliminary School Committee Results (in order of election): Nolan, Bowman, Dexter, Fantini, Kelley, KimbroughNote: It is not likely that these results will change with the Unofficial Results on Wednesday when auxiliary ballots are included.

For the moment at least, all six incumbents who ran to retain their seats seem to have been reelected. We'll know for sure on Friday (Nov 17) unless the closeness of the results warrants a recount. In the meantime, here are a few items of interest on this week's agenda.

Manager's Agenda #2. Transmitting Communication from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to the appropriation of $2,274,829 from Free Cash to the Mitigation Revenue Stabilization Fund. Funds appropriated to the Mitigation Revenue Stabilization Fund will be used to fund specific projects which will require individual appropriations by the City Council for the related projects in the future.

Manager's Agenda #5. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to a recommendation from the Planning Board to adopt the Alexandria Zoning Petition regarding Innovation Space in the PUD-3A and PUD-4C Districts.

Manager's Agenda #14. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to Awaiting Report 16-86, regarding a report on which public campaign finance options are legal for municipal elections in Cambridge; and Awaiting Report 17-84, regarding potential plans and options, responsive to community concerns, for creating a program of tax revenue financing for candidates running for City Council and School Committee in the City of Cambridge.

This is a topic that deserves a lot more discussion than was ever permitted in either the NLTP Committee (no idea why it would even be discussed as part of "neighborhood and long-term planning" or "public facilities" or "arts and celebrations") or the Government Operations Committee. It's not something Cambridge could even do without approval from the State Legislature and it's not at all clear that such approval would be forthcoming. In addition, there has been no indication of what scale of funding would be asked - and that's important in light of the fact that the total campaign expendtitures for the recent City Council election now totals about $600,000 and climbing. The correlation between campaign spending and electoral results is also not at all clear. The cost per #1 vote as of today among successful City Council campaigns runs from a low of $9.75 to a high of $33.50 (these numbers will rise).

It's also worth noting that MANY Cambridge voters are now consulting the Cambridge Candidate Pages and other resources to learn about candidates, and that costs NOTHING. Indeed the number of visitors to the Cambridge Candidate Pages last week went like this: Nov 4: 1,082; Nov 5: 1699; Nov 6: 6,632; Nov 7 (Election Day): 11,058; Nov 8: 3,584; Nov 9: 941. That's a lot of visits for an election that had about 22,600 voters, and the Cambridge Candidate Pages aren't even linked from any City website.

Charter Right #1. That the City Manager is requested to appoint a Transportation Task Force to develop a large and comprehensive street safety and education plan that speaks to the needs of bicyclist, motorists, and pedestrians, and that can be easily disseminated and understood by all citizens. [Charter Right exercised by Mayor Simmons on Oct 30, 2017]

At this point I'm leaning toward the belief that we should transition toward a single Transportation Board that has subcommittees for transit, motor vehicles, bicycling, and pedestrians. Single issue advocacy has become King and ideas like balance and collaboration among stakeholders has become all but lost. It's become militant with single-issue advocates using social media to pack any and all meetings. I gave up going to these meetings. It's become just Bad Political Theater at this point and, contrary to claims of relative safety, it's really all about turf - establish a beachhead and then defend it even against reasonable criticism.

Order #1. That the City Manager is requested to work with the relevant City departments and report back to the City Council with an update on the City’s plans to expand the curbside composting program citywide. Councillor Cheung

Committee Report #1. A communication was received from Donna P. Lopez, City Clerk, transmitting a report from Councillor Dennis J. Carlone and Councillor Leland Cheung, Co-Chairs of the Ordinance Committee, for a public hearing held on Oct 12, 2017 to discuss a Zoning Petition filed by Christopher D. Smith, et al., to create a new Section 13.913 Graduate Student Housing Production Requirement. This petition would require new graduate housing to be built in conjunction with the development of commercial uses in the proposed Planned Unit Development 7 District as well as a phasing plan to implement graduate housing development.

Everyone agrees with the idea that MIT and other universities should provide adequate housing options for their students. As we saw with the recent Volpe Petition, this has been acknowledged by MIT and they are planning accordingly. This Smith Petition, on the other hand, is not only moot but misdirected. - Robert Winters

As we get ready for this year's 2017 Cambridge municipal election, here are a few "Fun Facts":

The total number of registered voters for the Nov 2017 election is 66,354. Their median age is 37.9. Here's how their ages (as of Election Day - Nov 7, 2017) are distributed (in 3-year intervals):

Registered Voters - 2017

For the Nov 2015 election, there were 63,338 registered voters with identified birthdates. Their median age was 38.7. Here's how their ages (as of Election Day - Nov 3, 2015) were distributed (in 3-year intervals):

Registered Voters - 2015

Of these registered voters, 17,959 voted in the 2015 municipal election. Their median age was 56.0. Here's how their ages were distributed (in 3-year intervals):

Registered Voters Who Voted in the 2015 Municipal Election

If you compare 2015 and 2017, you can see that most of the gains in registered voters are in the younger age ranges - especially the 24-29 range.

It will be interesting to see if these shifts will be reflected in the age distribution of those who vote in the Nov 2017 election.

The total voter turnout has dropped over the years but has remained relatively stable for the last several municipal elections. It jumped in 2017.

City of Cambridge Announces Food Truck Pilot

The City of Cambridge is currently accepting applications from food truck operators for its Food Truck Pilot, which will bring a variety of food trucks to locations in Central Square, Cambridgeport, Kendall Square, and North Point Park. The application period is open until November 30, 2017 and food trucks will begin vending in the spring of 2018.

“The Food Truck Pilot aligns with the City’s goal to support local businesses,” said Iram Farooq, Assistant City Manager for Community Development. “Food trucks allow restaurant entrepreneurs to test branding, menu ideas, and business concepts before making larger-scale investments. We have also thoughtfully designed the Pilot to prevent competition between existing small businesses in the designated areas.”

To be eligible for vending consideration, food truck operators must complete an application provided by the City’s Community Development Department. They must also have a valid State of Massachusetts Hawkers & Peddlers License and be licensed and permitted by the City of Cambridge prior to the start of vending. Consideration will be given to women- and minority-owned businesses, businesses operated by Cambridge residents, new businesses (2 years or under), and businesses without a brick-and-mortar restaurant.

Food trucks will be open to the public April 2018 through October 2018 at the following locations:

Final schedules, including food truck vendors at each location, will be announced in March 2018. An internal review committee will determine food truck scheduling at each location using a system that considers the eligibility requirements detailed above. Additionally, a People’s Choice Poll, available online in January 2018, will invite Cambridge community members to vote on their top vendor choice at select, high-demand locations.

City of Cambridge Set to Mark Affordable Housing Milestone with Approval of 1000th Inclusionary Unit

Nov 1, 2017 – This month, the City of Cambridge will approve its 1000th inclusionary housing unit, marking a significant milestone in the City’s efforts to create new affordable housing.

Inclusionary housing, which requires developers to incorporate affordable units into new residential buildings, has been the greatest generator of affordable housing in Cambridge in recent years. Inclusionary housing in Cambridge is built without public funding, and the city’s inclusionary housing stock now represents more than $500 million in private investment in affordable housing in Cambridge.

“Diversity is the backbone of our vibrant and progressive community, and inclusionary housing has been a key component in our efforts to preserve and champion that diversity,” said Mayor E. Denise Simmons. “With the approval of its 1000th inclusionary unit, Cambridge is demonstrating our unwavering commitment to creating quality, affordable housing that will enable more families and individuals from all socio-economic backgrounds to remain a vibrant part of our City.”

Last April, the Cambridge City Council passed an amendment to the city’s 1998 Inclusionary Housing Zoning Ordinance that nearly doubles the amount of inclusionary housing units in new developments, requiring that developments of ten or more units allocate 20% of residential floor area for low- and moderate-income tenants or moderate and middle-income homebuyers.

“No City in the Commonwealth is as committed to affordable housing as Cambridge is, and we are proud of this milestone,” said City Manager Louis A. DePasquale. “By using various strategies, like inclusionary zoning, we are advancing our housing goals, and we have been able to help thousands of residents with some amazing results.”

The city’s inclusionary housing program has enabled individuals and families with a wide range of incomes to live in neighborhoods throughout Cambridge. Residents living in inclusionary housing include retirees, lifelong Cambridge residents, immigrants, young families, and households moving out of homelessness. Inclusionary residents are employed in healthcare, education, the nonprofit sector, public service, retail and other small businesses, local banks, and institutions.

“It is our mission to support housing affordability for Cambridge families, and the inclusionary program is our key tool to leverage the market to support this goal. While much work is still needed, we are proud of the success of the program,” said Iram Farooq, Assistant City Manager for Community Development.

Following the approval of the 1000th inclusionary unit, review of other new inclusionary housing developments will continue and applicants will be selected for inclusionary rental units being completed in North Cambridge and inclusionary homeownership units soon to be completed in East Cambridge.

The City’s Community Development Department (CDD) oversees inclusionary rental and homeownership programs through the Homeownership Resale Pool, the Inclusionary Housing Rental Program, and the Middle-Income Rental Program, each of which accepts applications on a rolling basis. For more information about the application process for each program, visit: cambridgma.gov/housing.

December Programs (and Beyond) at Fresh Pond Reservation

These events are FREE and open to the public. Children are welcome in the company of an adult.

Woodland Restoration Area GardeningDates: Tuesdays between 9:30am and 1:00pm (excluding December 26)
Join other stewardship-minded volunteers in caretaking the native plant restoration area next to Lusitania Meadow, and learn about the diversity of native plant life! We seek dedicated participants who enjoy camaraderie and hard work that includes weeding, pruning, planting, watering new plantings, hauling wood chips and moving logs. Please email friendsoffreshpond@yahoo.com if you would like to come, and for more information.

Fresh Pond Stewards: Wake Up and Weed!Dates: Thursdays, 10:00am to noon (excluding Thanksgiving Day & December 28)Meeting location: Water Purification Facility, 250 Fresh Pond Pkwy
Join our weed-warrior crew! We are Fresh Pond citizens dedicated to keeping invasive plants at bay for the benefit of wildlife, water and humans alike. No experience or long-term commitment necessary! All tools are provided; sturdy shoes, pants, long-sleeves and a water bottle are strongly recommended. Meets at the volunteer trailer in the lower parking lot.

Fresh Pond Kids’ WalksDates: Fridays, 10 to 11am (excluding December 22 and 29)Meeting location: The Gazebo at Neville Place, 650 Concord Ave.
Join us for casual nature explorations, designed for young kids and their parents/caretakers, and play in our urban wild! We might look for frogs and turtles at Black’s Nook, or find pill bugs and bird nests in the Butterfly Meadow. Please come dressed ready for the weather and in clothes that are OK to get a bit dirty! Feel free to contact Catherine Pedemonti at friendsoffreshpond@yahoo.com with any questions or to RSVP.

Winter Solstice Lantern WalkDate: Friday, December 15, 3:30-5:00pmMeeting place: Ranger station, 250 Fresh Pond Parkway
Join us to bid farewell to Autumn and begin to welcome Winter! We will decorate lanterns, fill them with an LED light, and take a walk at dusk to bring some light to our shortest days. Please dress for the weather. Feel free to contact Catherine Pedemonti at friendsoffreshpond@yahoo.com with any questions or to RSVP.

Solstice Celebration: A Farewell to Fall – And a Welcome to Winter!Date: Sunday, December 17, 2:30 to 4:00pmMeeting location: Ranger Station (door under the clock tower on the reservoir side of the Water Purification Facility), 250 Fresh Pond Parkway.
Meet Ranger Tim and explore the solstice traditions of nature and culture in this guided loop walk around Fresh Pond (2.25mi). Open to all audiences, dress for the weather at hand.

Unless otherwise specified, please contact Martine at 617-349-6489 or fpr@cambridgema.gov for any RSVPs or questions!

Would you like to join Friends of Fresh Pond Reservation? Membership in Friends of Fresh Pond Reservation costs only $10 per year ($5 for seniors and students, $15 for families). To join, fill out a membership form available in the Ranger Station information racks, e-mail friendsoffreshpond@yahoo.com, call 617-349-6489, or visit our website at www.friendsoffreshpond.org to download a form.

Keep up to date on events at the Pond. Visit the Friends group website at http://friendsoffreshpond.org to learn more about Friends group activities and the reservation and its inhabitants.

Sun, Dec 17. Habitat Audubon Sanctuary, Belmont - Celebrate the Solstice Walk. Slow-paced nature walk through forests and fields and around pond focusing on plant ID of bare trees, naked shrubs and winter weeds as the natural world prepares for winter. We’ll also talk about fun and interesting natural history of the plants we see. 1:00pm-4:00pm. From Rte 2, Exit 59 go west on Rte 60/Pleasant St. 0.6 miles. Right onto Clifton St, first left on Fletcher Rd, bear left at fork, next left on Juniper Rd. 0.2 miles to Sanctuary at #10 Juniper Rd. Steady rain or heavy snow cancels. L Boot Boutwell.

Episode 248 (Aug 8, 2017, 6:00pm)Topics: Agenda items from the Aug 7 City Council meeting, especially the MIT/Volpe Petition, controversy over segregated bike lanes, and an unsuccessful late effort to place a ballot question on the November ballot regarding publicly funded municipal campaigns

Episode 239 (July 11, 2017, 5:30pm) [materials]Topics: Nomination papers for Cambridge City Council and School Committee, candidate list - who's on the ballot so far

Episode 240 (July 11, 2017, 6:00pm)Topics: Cambridge PR election history (especially the probability of an incumbent being ousted when there are multiple vacancies), and the status of short-term rental regulation

THE MUNICIPAL SITUATION IN CAMBRIDGEA Paper read at the Annual Meeting of the National Municipal League at Chicago, April 28, 1904
BY HENRY N. WHEELER, PRESIDENT OF THE LEAGUE
PRECEDED BY A PROGRAM OF THE WORK OF THE LEAGUE FOR 1904
[original PDF]

A new report is estimating that the greater Boston area will need another 435,000 new housing units by 2040 to lure new workers and accommodate an aging population. [Reports available here]

Note: When comparing the peak population of Cambridge back in the 1950s (over 120,000) to what it is today (perhaps 107,000) it's important to keep in mind that families were typically much larger then. It's also the case that what people find acceptable in terms of living space and amenities has changed dramatically over six decades. This translates into considerably more "units" of housing (and higher density) in Cambridge if the population should rise to levels close to what they were in days of yore.

The Neverending Study of Central Square

Aug 11, 2012 - While preparing to write a series of essays on Central Square, I put together the following list of Central Square studies culled from a variety of sources. I have originals for most of these. If you know of any others, please let me know. - Robert Winters

K2C2 Final Reports Released

The final reports for Kendall Square and Central Square are now available for download. Zoning discussions based on the recommendations of the K2 and C2 Advisory Committees, which are encapsulated in these reports, will continue in 2014.

This comprehensive planning effort guided by stakeholder advisory committees, City staff, and a team of multidisciplinary consultants led by Goody Clancy, developed a vision and master plan for Central Square, Kendall Square, and the area South of Main Street (including the Osborn Triangle) connecting the two squares. Both final reports are divided into two parts; in each case you will need to review both parts to read the entire report.

June 7, 2009 - Once upon a time there was a civic organization in Cambridge known as the Cambridge Civic Association (CCA). It was formed in 1945 out of several organizations that had been existed through the 1930s and that had lobbied the state legislature to create the Plan E Charter option (1938) which featured a city manager form of government and proportional representation elections for city council and school committee. These reforms were central to model charter reform movements active in the United States from the early 1900s. The central theme of the CCA in its early days was "good government" in the sense of being anti-patronage and for professionally managed local government. This changed with the introduction of rent control at the end of the 1960s after which the CCA shifted leftward and became permanently lashed to the mast of the rent control vessel. Though the CCA still exists on paper (I believe), it rapidly declined after the statewide abolition of rent control (late 1994) and essentially disappeared a decade later (early 2005).

I bring up the ghost of the CCA today only to point out that when it was created it had some very admirable goals. Here's the original Mission Statement of the CCA:

Purposes: This association is formed for the following purposes:

1. To promote businesslike, honest, and efficient conduct of local government, open to public scrutiny.

2. To induce residents to take an active interest in the affairs of the City of Cambridge.

3. To encourage and support the candidacy of men and women seeking election to public office and to support intelligent, wholesome leadership in public affairs.

4. To assure that the best qualified persons are appointed to positions in the City government after consideration of all qualified candidates.

5. To promote among the citizens of Cambridge equitable distribution and benefit of public services and equal opportunity for economic security, education, and social advancement.

These are pretty good founding principles for a civic organization and I'm tempted to say that some should be incorporated into the recently adopted City Council's Goals for FY2010 (adopted Feb 2, 2009). In fact, of the 22 current goals, the only one that comes close is: "An increased level of recruitment and opportunities for membership on boards and commissions." The current Council goals emphasize things like "fostering community" via block parties and such, though one has to wonder if the City should be promoting these activities or just getting out of the way so that people can foster community on their own. The goals also seem to put some emphasis on developing "successful nightlife campaigns" while mentioning nothing about promoting ordinary "daytime" economic activity that supports the everyday needs of residents.

One founding principle of the CCA that fell into disuse over the years is listed above as #3: To encourage and support the candidacy of men and women seeking election to public office and to support intelligent, wholesome leadership in public affairs. Indeed, I can personally testify to the fact that in its dying years the only reason the CCA made endorsements at all was because the CCA-endorsed incumbents wanted the benefit of having an advertised CCA slate of candidates that would help secure their reelection. There was precious little effort to recruit new candidates or to support them. Today, the benefits of incumbency are greater than ever. The cost of political campaigns have become absurdly high and most of the incumbents now have (City paid) staff who are inevitably political appointees who directly or indirectly assist in the reelection efforts of their bosses. The deck is increasingly stacked against challengers. Furthermore, the salary and benefits for elected councillors are now so sweet that it is unlikely that any of them would ever want to move on to another job.

With this background in mind, I would like to encourage all Cambridge residents to help level the playing field by finding out about this year's challengers for seats on the Cambridge City Council and the Cambridge School Committee. This is not meant as a dig against any particular incumbent as much as an appeal to support the challengers in what is a difficult and laudable effort. Please see the Cambridge Candidate Pages for the current list of expected candidates. Then use your own judgment - don't expect me or anyone else to do it for you.

Speaking of this year's municipal election, there are some activists who are now expending great effort to attack the City Manager and most of the current City Council. That is not nor has it ever been the intention of the Cambridge Civic Journal or its editor. Candidates are now being seduced by financial promises from one angry fellow with a Brattle Street address and a basketful of grudges. Former CCA Executive Board members from its darkest and most manipulative days are oozing up from the civic swamp trying to at last make good on their failed campaigns of the early 1990s to oust city manager Bob Healy.

It's entertaining to watch people who have primarily earned disrespect in their civic efforts try to capitalize on the recent Monteiro jury decision as a means of realizing their decades-old vendettas. Conveniently forgotten in their recent letters to Cambridge's "oldest weekly newspaper" are the many achievements of City Manager Bob Healy, the strong financial position of the City, and the recent 8-1 vote of confidence bestowed upon Mr. Healy in granting him a three year contract extension. Also missing in this testimony is the fact that virtually all affirmative action in the hiring of employees and department heads has taken place on Mr. Healy's watch. These letters also fail to divulge how long these writers have been carrying their jealousy and anger toward Mr. Healy for actually orchestrating progress in Cambridge while the best they could ever do is snipe from the sidelines. - Robert Winters

This book was published c. 1923 and features very witty one-page “pen portraits” (with photo) of prominent Cantabrigians of the day. I'll be adding names alphabetically as time permits. There are 182 portraits in the book.

It comes to mind that there may be some value in expanding these profiles to other prominent Cantabrigians who arrived on the scene after 1923, including prominent Cantabrigians of today. With this in mind, I extend the invitation to any and all who may wish to contribute their own “pen portraits” of Cambridge people. Contributions do not necessarily have to be in the style of Mr. Mahoney. Inclusion is, as always, subject to the erratic discretion of the editor.

Special thanks to Karen Welch for sending me the book. - RW

Political History of Cambridge in the 20th Century
written by Glenn Koocher, November 2004 -- edited by Robert Winters, July 2006[An alternate edit of this essay will appear, along with many other valuable essays, in a
centennial volume to be published by the Cambridge Historical Society in 2007.]

Cambridge School Volunteers is looking for people who can give one to two hours per week to help students in the Cambridge Public Schools, grades K through 12. No experience necessary. Call 617-349-6794 or e-mail csv@cpsd.us for more details.

The Cambridge Civic Journal is an independent newsletter of civic affairs in the City of Cambridge, Massachusetts. It is published as a public service by Central Square Publications. All items are written by Robert Winters unless otherwise noted. [Of course, I do sometimes forget.]

Thoughts for these times:Men never do evil so completely and cheerfully as when they do it from religious conviction. -- Blaise Pascal

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“The Number One thing I would emphasize is that journalists and bloggers would do well to see themselves as partners in the provision of information and that each can benefit greatly from the other. I’ve never seen this as a competition. It is especially true these days that local papers and young journalists are not very well-versed in the communities they serve. Much of the institutional memory has either died out or been bought out.” -- Robert Winters, mathematician and creator of the Cambridge Civic Journal, an online publication about Cambridge, MA (rwinters.com)

Jorkin: “Come, come, Mr. Fezziwig, we’re good friends besides good men of business. We’re men of vision and progress. Why don’t you sell out while the going’s good? You’ll never get a better offer. It’s the age of the machine, and the factory, and the vested interests. We small traders are ancient history, Mr. Fezziwig.”

Fezziwig: “It’s not just for money alone that one spends a lifetime building up a business, Mr. Jorkin…. It’s to preserve a way of life that one knew and loved. No, I can’t see my way to selling out to the new vested interests, Mr. Jorkin. I’ll have to be loyal to the old ways and die out with them if needs must.”

Scrooge: “I think I know what Mr. Fezziwig means, sir.”

Jorkin: “Oh, you hate progress and money, too, do you?”

Scrooge: “I don't hate them, sir, but perhaps the machines aren’t such a good thing for mankind, after all.”